Age-related changes in the allocation of spatially directed focal attention. Issue 5 (2nd September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mańkowska, Aleksandra; Heilman, Kenneth M.; Williamson, John B.; Michałowski, Jarosław; Harciarek, Michał
• Is Part Of: Aging, neuropsychology, and cognition. Volume 27:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 748
• Page End: 764
• Publication Date: 2020-09-02
• Subjects: Spatial attention -- Posner task -- hemisphere asymmetry reduction (HAROLD) -- right hemisphere deterioration with aging (right hemi-aging) -- pseudoneglect; Aging -- Periodicals; Cognition in old age -- Periodicals; Cognition disorders in old age -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Aging -- periodicals; Neuropsychology -- periodicals; Cognition -- periodicals; Mental Disorders -- periodicals; Gerontology -- periodicals; Mental Health -- periodicals; 155.67
• DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2019.1675581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1382-5585

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Leftward deviation on a horizontal line bisection test (pseudoneglect) might be induced by right hemispheric dominance for mediating spatial or global attention, or a hemispheric asymmetry in the ability to spatially disengage attention. With aging, this leftward bias is reduced, likely due to the aging-related deterioration of right hemisphere mediated functions (right hemi-aging) or hemispheric asymmetry reduction in old adults (HAROLD). Methods: Forty-seven healthy adults divided into younger and older groups performed a modified Posner spatial-attentional task. Results: Overall, younger individuals responded faster to left than right-sided imperative stimuli. In contrast, older participants did not reveal a right-left asymmetry to imperative stimuli. The younger group also revealed a strong inverse relationship between the reaction time to right valid cues and the leftward attentional bias while performing the line bisection task (pseudoneglect). Conclusions: Our results provide support for both the right hemisphere spatial-attentional dominance hypothesis of pseudoneglect and the right hemi-aging hypotheses.